Monday, September 23, 2013

Most Meritorious Player: 1986 Ballot

For 1986, each voter should rank their top 13 players from both leagues combined.

Balloting is scheduled to close at 4pm EST on 2 October 2013.

Anyone can vote, even if you do not normally participate in Hall of Merit discussions. If have never participated in an MMP election, just post a preliminary ballot in the discussion thread by 1 October 2013.

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1) Roger Clemens - Another pitcher on top of the ballot. Separated himself from the pack.
2) Wade Boggs - best position player
3) Mike Scott - Impressive postseason helps move him up ballot. Also noticed I had an AL/NL bias in my pitching evaluation
4) Cal Ripken - durability, positional value and fielding
5) Ted Higuera
6) Don Mattingly - best bat, good fielder but not as much positional value as Boggs at 3B.
7) Tim Raines
8) Rick Rhoden - Very good hitter in 1986
9) Mark Eichhorn - hadn't fully evaluted him when I did my prelim. This is an impressive relief season
10) Jesse Barfield - Outstanding glove in 1986
11) Mike Schmidt - Age 36 season is still outstanding
12) Alan Trammell
13) Mike Witt - good postseason numbers help him grab the last slot

1. Wade Boggs, 3B, Boston Red Sox: Looks like I'm going to be the iconoclast this year.
2. Don Mattingly, 1B, New York Yankees: 1st in the AL in OPS+ and Runs Created but Boggs passes him by due to better defense (+8 to +1) at a harder position.
3. Mike Scott, P, Houston Astros: Led the Senior Circuit in ERA+ with 161 and innings with 275. His period of excellence was brief (only 5 seasons with an ERA+ over 100) but memorable.
4. Rogers Clemens, P, Boston Red Sox: Not what I expected before I ran the numbers. Clemens led the majors with a 169 ERA+ but his 254 innings were only 4th in the American League.
5. Mike Schmidt, 3B/1B, Philadelphia Phillies: The old man's still got it. 1st in OPS+, 2nd in Runs Created.
6. Jesse Barfield, RF, Toronto Blue Jays: A big bat at the plate (146 OPS+) and a big arm in the outfield (+21 fielding runs thanks, in part, to 20 assists).
7 Cal Ripken, Jr., SS, Baltimore Orioles: +16 fielding runs at shortstop plus he cracked the top ten in Runs Created with 102.
8. Teddy Higuera, P, Milwaukee Brewers: A 156 ERA+ in 248 innings.
9. Mark Eichhorn, RP, Toronto Blue Jays: 157 innings as a reliever with a 246 ERA+.
10. Tim Raines, LF, Montreal Expos: Second to Schmidt in OPS+ (145), first in Runs Created (130).
11. Mike Witt, P, California Angels: A 144 ERA+ in 269 innings.
12. Kirby Puckett, CF, Minnesota Twins: Makes the ballot thanks to a 142 OPS+ and 127 Runs Created.
13. Rickey Henderson, CF, New York Yankees: Makes the ballot thanks to +12 baserunning and +6 fielding runs in centerfield.

Final ballot--as usual no postseason bonus but rather a small bonus if they were part of a Division race

1. Clemens--Excellent season
2. Scott--I don't care how he doctored the ball--what a great season
3. Mattingly--awesome season though the Yanks fall short again
4. Higuera--I'm surprised I have 3 of the top 4 as pitchers, I remember this year as more of a hitter's year. I also remember alot of what Moeball said about the young power hitting rookies
5. Schmidt--what an amazing run
6. Barfield--40 HR and great defense
7. Raines--part of his HOF peak
8. Boggs--as always I ignored the temptation to punish him and rank him lower for being Wade Boggs
9. Hernandez--what a great leader for an ensemble cast of veterans and young phenoms--this is probably his last appearance on the MMP--he belongs in the HOF, hopefully he gets on the Expansion Era ballot & gets some support
10.Gwynn
11.Witt--best player on the Angels
12.Eichhorn--I had like 13 '88 Topps Eichhorn cards and fit them all into one sleeve, I think that was a record for me. Eichhorn has one of the great overlooked relief seasons here, him and Jesse Barfield certainly didn't slump in '86
13.Rickey Henderson--it ain't 146 runs but it's Rickey still flexing his power and speed

I have not, in previous posting's listed the players, regardless of league or hitter or pitcher, in order of value. I assume that anyone can read the above and see it plainly.
However, maybe I should and here they are in order of run value: